I had never seen true beauty until I saw an eagle fly,
free across a summer's sky.
Its wings spread, vast,
catching the eddies and currents of the wind.
I was rendered speechless and jealous,
tethered as I was to the solid ground.
Its proud head held aloft,
eyes scanning the horizon.
How far can he fly without stopping,
I wondered?
And how far can the dolphins and sea turtles swim?
Gliding through the cold, briny waters.
Just how deep can the blue whale dive?
Farther and deeper than the time I have to hold my breath.
I feel cheated.
I would be a clumsy sort of aquatic adventurer,
weighted down with tanks and fake flippers.
Not sinuous, like the eel.
Not sleek and fast like the seal.
We humans are the higher minded creatures of this planet.
But at what cost?
Knowledge of our limits bind us.
Cause us to crave something we are ill adapted to obtain.
Too much want, too little acceptance.
We know also, the dirty deeds we perform,
the wicked ways we work,
that are slowly taking away the very things we aspire to.
Until, one day, the human race will not know of eagles.
Nor of dolphins, or whales or anything else beyond us.
Gone will be the breath-taking diversity we take for granted.
The only inheritance we will have left our children's children,
will be color photos in a history book.
Creatures that were once alive,
relegated to myth and long, long ago.
I sometimes think God made a mistake,
leaving us in charge of things.
We need to open wide our eyes,
and unlock our wanting hearts.
Realize we are the keepers of the universe,
and treat it with respect and equality.
Humans are not more important than anything else.
We only think we are.
But nature and life rely on a delicate balance,
and the scales are tipping in the wrong direction.
If we do not change, all will eventually be lost.
So take a moment,
to scan the skies for an eagle born on the winds.
Sit a while on the sand, contemplating the vast sea,
and all it contains within.
Try to imagine what the world would be without it all.
And let your tears move you to change your ways.

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